Fri.’s Devo - The Army of God

Read: 1 Chronicles 12:19-14:17; Romans 1:1-17; Psalm 9:13-20; Proverbs 19:4-5 When David was living among the Philistines, they were going to fight Israel. David and his army came to help them but some of the Philistine rulers voted not to let David and his men join them in case they changed allegiance in the middle of the battle and fought them instead. They sent David back to Ziklag where he lived. When he got there he found that a group of mercenaries had raided his town and stolen their wives and all they had. *** Men from the tribe of Manasseh came and help David chase down the raiders and they recovered everything. They became members of his army. David’s army was like the Army of God. Their goal was to make David their king instead of Saul. *** Here is a list of the tribes and the warriors that joined with David: Judah - 6,8000 warriors with shields and spears Simeon - 7,100 brave warriors Levi - 4,600 warriors and officers Benjamin - (Saul’s relatives) 3,000 warriors Ephraim - 20,800 highly respected warriors Manasseh - 18,000 Issachar - 200 leaders who understood the sings of the times and knew the best course for Israel to take Zebulun - 50,000 skilled warriors, fully armed Naphtali - 1,000 officers and 37,000 warriors armed with shields and spears Dan - 28,600 prepared warriors Asher - 40,000 trained warriors Manasseh - 120,000 troops armed with every kind of weapon *** If this describes David’s earthly army, can you imagine God’s heavenly army. We have nothing to fear. ***They believed along with the people that David should be the king. They stayed with David for three days making preparations and bringing food for a celebration to make David their king. *** It was David’s desire to bring the Ark of God to the City of David. They placed it on a new cart and brought it from Abinadab’s house. As Uzzah and Ahio were guiding the cart, David and all Israel were celebrating before the Lord with singing and music. *** When the arrived at the threshing floor of Nacon, the oxen stumbled and Uzzah stuck out his hand to steady the Ark. God struck him dead because he laid his hand upon the Ark. *** David was angry with the Lord because he had killed Uzzah and was afraid to bring the Ark any closer, so he left it at the home of Obed-edom. God blessed Obed-edom immensely while his ark was there. *** King Hiram of Tyre sent David cedar logs, stonemasons and carpenters to build himself a palace. David married more wives and had 13 more sons in Jerusalem. *** When the Philistines learned that Israel had made David their king, they came out against him. David and his army went to meet them. He asked the Lord if he would turn the Philistines over to him and he said he would. David defeated them and burned all their gods. They returned later to the same valley and God told David to ambush them from behind and he defeated them again. *** Today we start the book of Romans. It was written by Paul before he went to prison in 56 A.D. He wrote this letter to the church at Rome that he had not yet visited. In it he gives the principles of the gospel that he preached everywhere. *** From the start, Paul proclaims who Jesus is. He was born into King David’s line and the evidence that he was God’s son was in his resurrection. *** Paul had heard of the faith of the believers in Rome and commended them for their testimony. He longed to come and visit them and bring them some spiritual gifts that would help them grow stronger in the Lord. *** Paul established that it is by faith that we are made right with God through Jesus Christ. *** Lord, may we find encouragement in reading about David’s army knowing that it is “like” the army of God. If God be for us… who can be against us! May we find strength in the power of the resurrection.